Oceanian literature

Oceanian (Australasian, Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian) literature developed in a unique geographical environment that allowed the development of a unique literature to thrive. Oceanian literature was heavily influenced by religion, ritual and colonization. This can be seen by the large amount of religious symbolism and political activism featured in it.

Another major influence in Oceanian society was its intricate oral tradition. For a long time, most Oceanian literature was not written down. As a result, stock formulas and rhyming were used in many works (these traits made it easier to memorize). Gods, creation myths, and spirits are also prominent in Oceanian literature, showcasing again the influence oral tradition had on the literature of Oceania.

Modern Oceanian literature is mainly written in the English language but also feature different languages and speech. The literatures of Oceania, particularly during the return to many island nations’ independence in the 1960s and 1970s, were often strongly political and invested in finding literary expression for new independent, interconnected Pacific lives.^[1] Oceanian writers drew on a wide, translational pool of references, with African, American, European and Indian literatures often productively woven into their texts.^[2] The ocean carries a lot of symbolism and meaning to the cultures and people that have travelled through, in which largely has impacted the literary cultures and historical narratives in Oceania.^[3]

List of countries and territories

Prominent writers by country

Australia

Fiji

French Polynesia

Kiribati

Teweiariki Teaero

Marshall Islands

Micronesia, Federated States of

Luelen Bernart

Nauru

New Zealand

Palau

Susan Kloulechad

Papua New Guinea

Samoa

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Afaese Manoa

Vanuatu

References

^ Tusitala Marsh, Selina (2013). "Literature". In Rapaport, Moshe (ed.). The Pacific Islands: Environment and Society, Revised Edition. University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3586-6.
^ Long, Maebh; Hayward, Matthew (2024). The Rise of Pacific Literature: Decolonization, Radical Campuses, and Modernism. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-56173-0.
^ Finnegan, Orbell. South Pacific Oral Traditions. Indiana University Press. p. 15.

Citations

'Oceanic literature', Guiart, Jean in Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
Goetzfridt, Nicholas J. (1995). Indigenous Literature of Oceania: A Survey of Criticism and Interpretation, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

This article about literature from a country or region is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Tusitala Marsh, Selina (2013). "Literature". In Rapaport, Moshe (ed.). The Pacific Islands: Environment and Society, Revised Edition. University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3586-6.

[2] Long, Maebh; Hayward, Matthew (2024). The Rise of Pacific Literature: Decolonization, Radical Campuses, and Modernism. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-56173-0.

[3] Finnegan, Orbell. South Pacific Oral Traditions. Indiana University Press. p. 15.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Oceanian literature
Sovereign states	Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states	Cook Islands Niue
Dependencies and other territories	American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna

Oceanian Culture
This article is part of a series on

Society
Shared Histories Languages Religion People Indigenous European
Arts and literature
Architecture Art Literature
Other
Cuisine Cinema Mythology Sports
Symbols
Flags Armorial World Heritage Sites
Oceania Portal
v t e